Hi
I am setting up my new phone, I have purchased a new SD card but before I set it up would like to know is it advisable to set it up at encrypted or just normal,
I would like the extra encryption but the problem of it not being accessible anywhere is a problem
What if my phone was to stop working or just die all of a sudden, it's not a big brand so could happen....will I lose all the data if that was to happen?
Can I buy another phone same model and use the card in there ?
Any recoveries out there that allow access to the encrypted SD card
I would just like a little clarification as it seems confusing
Thanks
Sent from my m8 using Tapatalk
The phone acts as a private-key. So, no, you won't be able to use a same-model phone to decrypt. it would be too easy for a theft to do the same.
You need to choose:
- portability & no encryption
- no-portability & encryption
OR
- portability & encryption just on device (no SD)
It's sad Android doesn't provide a way to backup & restore the private-key on some other device, yet (also I didn't hear of any interest in going this direction).
Or at least allow to generate that private-key starting from some custom passphrase/password (so that could be regenerated/decrypted when providing it again; like linux's ssh-gen command does [I think]).
So you choose Security VS Portability.
I tried to follow the third-option but it takes a lot of effort and care (configure backups of the internal storage, plus always being sure to have the critical data out of the SD (photos, documents, videos, files, anything), that of course need to be manually selected. Loosing my phone recently, I realized that it protected me partially and that I dunno exactly what I exposed and what I didn't.
Go for the first option and configure solid regular incremental backups.
That's the first thing I will do on my new smartphone: choose a proper-sized SD (that won't change); then encrypt everything internal and external (preferably with no data yet); secure with an antivirus and a tracking app; configure a solid backup system of important type of data (personal data mostly; and things that single apps don't backup/restore by themselves; and a regular FolderSync incremental backup to my home computer, every time that I enter my home WiFi network).
That's how you prevent from data loss if/when your phone gets lost/broken/stolen.
For portability just take care to have a USB cable so that you can use your phone as a portable encrypted drive.
"Backup" is the solution you probably want to follow.
Related
My AT&T Galaxy Note's screen just gave out. It cracked a while back, but it hadn't been affecting performance. Now when it tries to turn on, the top half flashes for a fraction of a second and then it all goes black. This happens whenever the phone attempts to turn on the screen, be it from hold or from power-down: top half flashes, phone goes black.
It's worth noting that all input seems to work fine - but this is useless as I can't see what I'm doing. I've managed to answer calls once or twice, but that's about it.
It is also worth noting that I have TWRP recovery on it, as well as the Flapjaxxx ICS rom that was released over the summer.
As such, I have two main areas of questions to ask - the first being about possible replacements and the second being about backing up / restoring the phone.
------
I've gone and purchased a new Galaxy Note, and what I'd like to do with the broken one if possible is a full backup of its current state - firmware, internal memory, internal and external SD cards, etc. - that I could then flash onto the new Note. Is this possible without being able to see what I'm doing?
Please note that I do realize that I can copy everything off of the internal & external SD over USB. That's not what I'm asking. I'd like to backup everything, firmware included, in a way that I can restore it onto the new phone.
Some ideas that I have include using adb, odin or some other software to backup over USB... using TWRP without being able to see the screen to backup to my external SD card (navigating with the side buttons, i.e. "press volume up twice, lock once, etc."), or something along those lines.
Plug in to PC and copy your stuff..
Hopefully your USB storage will kick in automatically.
Your contacts will restore via Google on the next device sync.
Pictures and other data on the internal emmc partition will need to be copied off, or over to external SD.
I'm hoping you have USB functionality ...g
@gregsarg: Thanks, but that's not really what I'm looking for.
There is a bunch of data (SMS messages, contacts stored on my phone and not on google accounts, call logs, etc.) that are not sync'd to my google account. Further, I am not sure if these pieces of data store somewhere on the Internal or External SD cards - which I can access easily over USB - or somewhere in internal memory, which I have no idea how to do. Even if this data is somewhere on the SD cards, I have no idea where on the cards it would be.
As such, I'm looking to perform a FULL BACKUP of all firmware / memory / SD card contents / etc. I'm guessing there's a way to do this either with ADB or Odin over USB onto my computer, or from TWRP onto the external SD card. As to the latter, although I cannot see what I'm doing I can still navigate the phone with the volume / power buttons, and thus I imagine that I can follow a preset series of presses to perform said backup without being able to see what I'm doing.
Anyone have any ideas along these lines?
I know what you are asking....
And the outcome largely depends on what you intend to do with the device.
A screen replacement to include the digitizer, will not touch your rom chipset, and data loss should not occur.
But if you plan to replace the device, then your only real option for backup of data would be through Kies software , which allows backup of all device data prior to a restore process.
Additionally, you should copy all current files from internal device memory (emmc) to the computer before doing anything in kies.
External memory (SD), is self contained once the card is removed. But a good copy is advisable also.
Of course, a nandroid backup takes precedence over all other options, but in this case, I do not see how a blind backup is possible.
I can give you the backup step sequence for TWRP, but I cannot promise a successful backup without optical proof. However, I am willing to try...g
Regarding ADB....I do believe a full file copy (or dump) is possible, and can be done using Odin as well , but using that dump for a restore to the new device later may become problematic.
As the file placement into secondary device partitions may prove to be different , making the push of these files difficult .
By far, a blind nandroid , or kies backup is preferable.
Hi guys, I've been a little concern about my files on my memory card, so I moved them to the internal storage for "safety" my files are blocked by a security pattern, but if you take the memory card out people would be able to see whats in it, thats why I decided to move it to internal memory. But I found out that, even if I have a security pattern, people still can access to both, internal and external memory by using usb cable to connect the phone to the computer!! So, how do I block my internal and external memory from being accessed in the event that my phone get lost or stolen??
One possible option is to use anti thief programs like cerebrus. It allows you wipe the data from the phone by remotely sending SMS codes. Maybe encryption is also the way to go for you. But I am sure about that.
haulero said:
Hi guys, I've been a little concern about my files on my memory card, so I moved them to the internal storage for "safety" my files are blocked by a security pattern, but if you take the memory card out people would be able to see whats in it, thats why I decided to move it to internal memory. But I found out that, even if I have a security pattern, people still can access to both, internal and external memory by using usb cable to connect the phone to the computer!! So, how do I block my internal and external memory from being accessed in the event that my phone get lost or stolen??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Encrypt it. System settings/Encrypt device. You can, apparently, do both internal memory and SD card.
poldie said:
Encrypt it. System settings/Encrypt device. You can, apparently, do both internal memory and SD card.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wanted to try that... however, it says password will required to decrypt each time you power it on..... so thats why I didn't do it. Cause of course, if I lost or someone steal my phone, phone is going to be ON, so that makes no sense because they will have access to my files anyways, since I already provided the password to decrypt it, right?
anubius said:
One possible option is to use anti thief programs like cerebrus. It allows you wipe the data from the phone by remotely sending SMS codes. Maybe encryption is also the way to go for you. But I am sure about that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats a good idea, however. If I lose my phone at walmart, it will take a little while before I can get in a computer to wipe my data off! by then, people will have accessed my info already. It make take 30 minutes before I realize my phone was lost, then I need to get home and log in to cerebrus.com (or whatever its spelled lol) and wipe data from my device. What I would like to find is something that will block my data from being read if the phone is connected to computer via usb cable.
Like I said before, I already have pattern block, they will not be able to access my internal memory without the correct pattern, they can take the sd card and see my files in another device, but I'm not worried about that because I already moved all the important files to the internal memory of the phone.
I too want an answer
Yes off course, someone can just take my phone and can easily copy my internal data. We need a solution for that.
This has been talked about over and over I believe, but a real "solution" has not been found yet I guess. I just want to direct you to another thread with my take on this issue.
Hey there,
I was reading about encrypting my SD card via settings > storage, but am turned off by the thought that flashing a rom or doing a factory reset will render the sd card useless because the encryption key would be bad. What is the best alternative for securing the SD card say, if the device was stolen? Can this be avoided by "keeping the previous Android device ID" in titanium backup when prompted?
As for the device itself, I am putting some trust into the Android Device Manager, which finds the phone much like Apple's 'Find my iPhone' via the google dashboard, but worry about the feature working when the time comes (if ever!)
Ammi doing it rite? What are some security advices you can give an android user, or perhaps a worthy article on the topic?
EDIT: After looking into the security > storage screen for my phone(HTC One M8), the process only encrypts new files, not currently existing files- which seems to be ineffective and a pain for encrypting all files. I am assuming files transferred to the SD card via USB connection on a PC is never encrypted? Only files loaded onto the SD card through the OS?
Hello!
I have a somewhat unusual challenge on my hand and am hoping there is a solution, however after days of searching I am unable to come up with a clear or consistent answer. I got a shiny new SM-T580 around the holidays, and immediately set to work on installing twrp, rooting the device, etc. to be able to use it for my needs. My device is OEM unlocked, rooted, has Xposed installed, and has a ton of hard to come by apps installed, as well as a substantial amount of important personal files on it. On Saturday, I went to flash a zip file to install a tool pertaining to ROM modification and the install unexpectedly failed because TWRP couldn't mount my /data partition; I realized I had completely forgotten to format /data after disabling encryption back when I first did everything, and my /data partition was still encrypted.
That being said, I really do need to remove the encryption, but I really need to preserve my data also. To make matters more complicated, I have enabled adoptable storage, and am using a 64gb card formatted as internal storage, with about ~30gb data on it. I have backed up my personal files to the cloud, but now am trying to figure out how to move my apps and app data. Ideally I would like to preserve my entire existing directory structure, as well as home screen configurations, etc. I am left with a few questions that are preventing me from proceeding:
How do I determine which data is stored on the actual external SD card? From my own poking around, it looks as though the external SD is /mnt/expand/aa11a11a-blah-blah-blah/ but I am not positive. If that is my SD card, can I simply move it to a new install? I assume the SD card is also encrypted, as I am guessing the string following /mnt/expand/ is an encrypted serial number or something of the sort. If that is the case, can I simply copy the files from the above directory, and then copy them back in after formatting the card? Beyond this, as far as what is actually stored on my phone, is there a means of backing up and restoring the files and directory structure and having it all still work and point to the right places? I don't know how the system links the adopted storage and just feel like I'm in over my head when it comes to understanding the nitty-gritty of Android file system internals. I would simply backup the whole partition and then restore it but then I would be back to square one with the encryption. I am competent with TWRP, ADB, ODIN, etc and would be very, very happy if anyone could point me in the right direction on this, even if the solution is complex. If I am unable to figure this out before the weekend I am going to have to manually back up all apps and click through 300+ apk files. I do also have titanium backup but I am kind of in a bind with storage space vs backup size. Anyhow, if you made it this far thank you so much for reading and I am looking forward to your replies! :highfive
Edit: This was intended for the Galaxy Tab A forum. Mods, please move this thread to Samsung Galaxy Tab A series Questions & Answers if possible, though the question should pertain to both device series on 6.0+. Thank you!
Hi all
I have a Samsung S20 Ultra with a memory card that all of my photos are saved to, unfortunately I had to take my phone into Samsung experience store for a screen / back cover repair, the staff removed my Memory card and told me to factory reset due to GDPR as the device had to be sent away, when my device returned in the post 5 days later I went to put the memory card back in and a notice appeared stating the memory card is encrypted to a different device! I am totally devastated as there are pictures of my father who has passed away and other images that they are the only copies I have, I know now I should have unencrypted the memory card before the factory reset. I have spoken to Samsung directly so say there is nothing that can be done.
does anyone know of a way I can get round this I would be so very grateful!
Thanks in advanced
Stu
The best thing I could suggest is a third party solution that may be able to decrypt the information on the card, such as FeExplorer. Check to see if you have a "Decrypt SD card" option in the Lock Screen and Security settings, although I suspect it won't be able to do it.
The problem is, the encryption key is unique and stored in user data. When data is wiped during a factory reset, the key is wiped as well, so even if the user configures the same lock settings (password, pattern, etc) they key would be different.
I am not aware of an absolute solution, but here is what I would strongly suggest you do:
If able, make sure the contents of the card are backed up. Use cloud storage such as Google Drive.
Keep the card in a safe place; maybe put it in a small envelope or something, and mark it in such a way as to discourage accidental discarding or wiping.
Buy a new SD card to use in the meantime while you look for a way to recover the information on the encrypted card.
I am sorry for your loss, and I wish I had a better answer for you.
Edit: Found this on another site, maybe it's worth a try. MAKE SURE YOU BACK UP THE DATA ON THE CARD IN CASE THIS GOES WRONG.
On a PC: Copy (the encrypted and unreadable) contents of the sd card from the phone to your harddrive
On the phone: Settings -> Storage -> Sd Card -> Format sd card (this erases all the data on the sd card but don't worry you have a copy on the PC)
On the phone: Settings -> Security -> Encrypt sd Card (should be real fast since it's an empty sd card)
On the PC: Copy the contents of the sd card onto the phone
On the phone: Settings -> Security -> Decrypt sd card (edit: this may take a while depending on how much data was on the card)
sorry but none of the above "solutions" makes any sense. it is not possible to recover data. encryption key was located /data/misc/vold and /data itself was encrypted, too. Furthermore one can't access /data aka userdata partition.
BUT... and here comes the but.. adoptable-storage usually is DISABLED in One UI
So how is it possible your MicroSD Card is encrypted at all? It's not, except you have installed custom ROM or installed any 3rd party encryption tool (you would remember)
There is a good chance your MicroSD Card is plain exFAT or Fat32 unencrypted file system. I recommend to use a card reader for PC and make a 1:1 dump with gddrescue and analyze the dump with photorec or other file carver solutions.
There exist tools for windows too, for example
https://www.klennet.com/carver
https://www.z-a-recovery.com
https://www.runtime.org
Don't buy any software if your MicroSD Card is encrypted, it will definitely not work.
You can easily check if your MicroSD Card is encrypted by opening raw disk image with HxD hex editor and search for any plain text or series of zeros. gparted or testdisk will tell you if partition table exist
aIecxs said:
sorry but none of the above "solutions" makes any sense. it is not possible to recover data. encryption key was located /data/misc/vold and /data itself was encrypted, too. Furthermore one can't access /data aka userdata partition.
BUT... and here comes the but.. adoptable-storage usually is DISABLED in One UI
So how is it possible your MicroSD Card is encrypted at all? It's not, except you have installed custom ROM or installed any 3rd party encryption tool (you would remember)
There is a good chance your MicroSD Card is plain exFAT or Fat32 unencrypted file system. I recommend to use a card reader for PC and make a 1:1 dump with gddrescue and analyze the dump with photorec or other file carver solutions.
There exist tools for windows too, for example
https://www.klennet.com/carver
https://www.z-a-recovery.com
https://www.runtime.org
Don't buy any software if your MicroSD Card is encrypted, it will definitely not work.
You can easily check if your MicroSD Card is encrypted by opening raw disk image with HxD hex editor and search for any plain text or series of zeros. gparted or testdisk will tell you if partition table exist
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
when you put an SD card into a Samsung ultra it asks if you want to encrypt it through their own software, no third party apps were used
True, I realized after posting. Samsung is always bit special, they tried to think differently... In that case your data was lost in the moment of factory reset.
https://www.samsung.com/au/support/mobile-devices/how-to-encrypt-decrypt-sd-card
Stu_C said:
Hi all
I have a Samsung S20 Ultra with a memory card that all of my photos are saved to, unfortunately I had to take my phone into Samsung experience store for a screen / back cover repair, the staff removed my Memory card and told me to factory reset due to GDPR as the device had to be sent away, when my device returned in the post 5 days later I went to put the memory card back in and a notice appeared stating the memory card is encrypted to a different device! I am totally devastated as there are pictures of my father who has passed away and other images that they are the only copies I have, I know now I should have unencrypted the memory card before the factory reset. I have spoken to Samsung directly so say there is nothing that can be done.
does anyone know of a way I can get round this I would be so very grateful!
Thanks in advanced
Stu
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello, have an experience that my samsung device were dead and my sd card still encrypted.
Firstly, you have to backup entire data on your sd card just in case.
And then, format your sd card using another device (maybe your another android).
Last, put your sd card to windows device and recover all data with DiskDigger software.
It's work on my sd card, give it a try.. Dont forget to backup all data